Katabat Teams With LivePerson to Deliver B2C Two-Way SMS Messaging

Reaching customers via the channels they prefer is a key element of a personalized marketing approach. For many of today's customers, short messaging service (SMS) text messaging on mobile devices is their preference. According to Dimension Data, while 89 percent of customers would prefer to communicate with brands via SMS, only 48 percent of businesses have the necessary systems in place. Two-Way SMS closes this gap and delivers on what customers really want.

"If you want to build relationships, you have to go and meet people where they are," said Ray Peloso, CEO of Katabat. "SMS is where customers are, and companies looking to differentiate and deliver better service are investigating two-way communications. Making that channel available and truly interactive shows customers that you are really listening to them."

The new product is part of the Katabat™ Unite customer marketing communications solution, which puts the needs and preferences of the customer at the heart of every interaction. From digital onboarding to multichannel campaign management, it gives organizations the tools necessary to craft the ultimate communications campaign.

By partnering with LivePerson, Katabat integrates another capability into its full-service customer lifecycle and marketing communications portfolio. LivePerson has been an innovator in corporate digital communications for over 20 years. It originated chat for brands, and took a bold step forward yet again when it introduced business-to-consumer (BC) mobile messaging.

"LivePerson offers a sleek approach to inbound messaging that integrates perfectly with our trusted, secure portfolio of solutions," said Kyle Christensen, Vice President of New Product Innovation for Katabat. "Customers create their outbound messaging campaign within the platform like always. But now, in addition to offering a unified omnichannel message across traditional channels like email and voice interactions, we also seamlessly include SMS."

Delivering this technology promises to enhance the customer experience by offering a new level of engagement via a favored channel. Text messaging is the preferred channel for customer service in the United States, chosen by 33 percent of customers, and comes in second to only email in the United Kingdom, where 25 percent prefer SMS. In addition, SMS is also the preferred channel worldwide among consumers under age 45, according to Twillio.

Although Two-Way SMS is the latest industry-leading offering from Katabat, the company is continually innovating to help financial institutions exceed their customers' expectations while remaining secure, efficient, and compliant. Plans for 2018 include artificial intelligence enhancements to the company's products that will significantly improve agent efficiency.

Designed and delivered by lending industry and technology experts, Katabat addresses the strategic pain points big financial institutions face every day. Partnering with users throughout the finance industry keeps Katabat at the cutting edge of customer experience management, automation, marketing communication, debt management, and infosec. Headquartered in Wilmington, Del., Katabat operates globally with international offices in Australia and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit us at www.katabat.com.